Two from Louisiana Sentenced for Their Roles in the Theft of 116 Firearms from Gun Stores in the State

Lafayette, Louisiana. – Salih Reed has been sentenced to 270 months in prison for stealing 54 guns from the Youngsville location of Sentry Defense and 62 guns from Guns-N-Ammo in Benton, Louisiana. He will also be required to pay $38,148.07 in restitution and will be placed on 6 years of supervised release. Jessica Moore, who participated in the robbery of Guns-N-Ammo, was sentenced to time served and two years of supervised release.

On Tuesday, December 20, 2022, United States Attorney Brandon B. Brown announced that Salih Reed, 27, of Pineville, Louisiana, has been sentenced by United States District Judge Dee D. Drell for the burglary of two firearms stores in Benton and Youngsville, Louisiana.

Salih Reed was given a prison term of 270 months (22 years and 6 months), followed by 6 years of supervised release. Reed was additionally ordered to pay $38,148.07 in restitution. Reed pled guilty to two counts of theft of guns from a federal firearms licensee on August 4, 2022.

The accusations, in this case, come from two burglaries of Louisiana gun shops. Around September 1, 2019, Reed stole 54 weapons from the Youngsville location of Sentry Defense. Reed and Jessica Moore stole 62 weapons from Guns-N-Ammo, a licensed firearms business situated in Benton, Louisiana, on November 14, 2021.

“Salih Reed not only broke the law by stealing numerous firearms from two stores in Louisiana, but he caused multiple stolen firearms to be illegally transported to other cities in the United States,” said U.S. Attorney Brandon B. Brown. “The cooperation between law enforcement agencies, both federal and those in Louisiana and other states, are what led to the arrest of these individuals. The goal of the Department of Justice is to help reduce violent crime and cases like these are where this begins. We will continue working with our federal and local partners to keep violent criminals off the streets.”

“This sentencing sends a strong message to gun traffickers that ATF will use every available resource to prevent and dismantle the flow of illegal firearms into our communities,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge Kurt Thielhorn. “ATF will continue to collaborate with our law enforcement partners to investigate and seek prosecution of these cases to the fullest extent of the law in order to protect our citizens.”

Jessica Moore, 24 years old, of Alexandria, Louisiana, participated in the robbery of the Guns-N-Ammo store in Benton, Louisiana, and pled guilty to one count of theft of guns from a federal firearms licensee on August 24, 2022. Judge Drell sentenced Moore to time served, which began in February 2021 at the time of her arrest, followed by two years of supervised release. In addition, she was forced to pay restitution of $2,500.

The investigation was conducted by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, the Youngsville Police Department, the Lafayette Parish Sheriff's Office, the Rapides Parish Sheriff's Office, the Bossier Parish Sheriff's Office, and the Los Angeles Police Department. The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel J. McCoy.